Thirteen: Unlucky for some
by CathyRach95
Summary: What happened to Finnick in the early days of the rebellion, and happened to Annie at the Capitol? Written in Finnick's POV. Rated T for themes [I will change the rating if people think it best].


_AN: I didn't realise how long this actually was until I posted this here, so if you do happen to read it all then know I love you! Reviews and feedback would be lovely. Thanks if you read this and then continued to the story._

Thirteen, to most people that's unlucky, to me it's painful. It's where I am right now, District Thirteen. I'm part of a rebellion that right now I couldn't care less about. I saved the girl on fire for the rebellion, but by doing so I lost the girl I love. They were using her against me, and it was working. Why would nobody bring her back to me?

"We will rescue her Finnick."

"Finnick, just wait. She'll be back before you know it."

"We can't get her back until it's safe to do so."

Everyone was telling me the same thing, but they were all managing to find different ways to say it. I'm not stupid, I know it's dangerous to rescue her, but for all I know she could be in grave danger where she is. She is more important to me than any rebellion. I need her back before they kill her. "They won't kill her as long as you're alive. They only have her to use against you Finnick. We can't play into their hands, we can't rescue her now, they'll expect it." "Fuck playing into their hands, and so what if they expect it? I don't care. I want her back. I need her. They will hurt her!"

The only person to feel my pain was Katniss, they took Peeta from her. However my want to talk to her was little. By saving her life, I put Annie's in danger. It was her fault they had Annie. "Finnick when they rescue Peeta, they'll rescue Annie I'll make sure of it." "What are you going to do? They won't let you go; you're the Mockingjay, sending you to the Capitol would kill the rebellion before it achieved its goal." "I'll tell them to, they will bring her back, they'll bring all the victors back." I nodded at her, but I just wanted to cry. If they didn't rescue Peeta, they wouldn't rescue Annie. She wasn't important to them.

I was slowly but surely going crazy, I could tell. I finally could understand how she must have felt after her games. The only thing that was keeping me from completely slipping away was a small piece of rope I had found. I tied knot after knot, I hoped it would focus my mind on something other than her and the pain she might be in. I was losing her, and slowly losing myself. I couldn't let this happen, but there was nothing I could do.

"Finnick!" Katniss called. "Finnick, they're starting the rescue mission! They've gone to get Peeta!" "And Annie?" "And Annie." She confirmed. They were going to rescue her, she would be safe. She would be back in my arms and I would never let her go again. I was overcome with emotion, I pulled Katniss into a hug and together we cried, but for once these were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Tears of relief for the ones we loved.

For the rescue mission to be a success, we had to distract the Capitol. They needed more important things to focus on. It was decided that now would be a good time for the living victors in thirteen to tell their stories. Mine was famous, but nobody knew the real reasons behind my actions. I didn't want to have to tell this story, but if it would save Annie then I would do it.

The rebellion needed to remove Snow; we had to reveal his true colours. Because of Snow, I had been abused. Mentally abused. He forced me to sleep with women, and sometimes men because I was handsome and had been one of the most popular victors. He had threatened to kill my family if I hadn't said yes, so I said yes, to protect them. But he lied. He had them killed anyway. If I had died first time round, they would still be alive, and I wouldn't have to do this. If I had died the second time round, she would have been alright. They wouldn't be holding her hostage and none of this would be happening.

The videos of our stories were broadcast to the Capitol and all around Panem. Everyone would see. But hopefully while they aired, they would be rescuing her. I couldn't wait to see her again, but I was scared. She had been damaged before all this, so surely it wouldn't make much difference. That's the thing with the Capitol, they destroy you and you never get the chance to come back from that. If they had been trying to get information from her they would have hurt her but she couldn't have told them anything, she didn't know. I thought that keeping this a secret from her would have protected her, but I was wrong so all this was my fault. I blame myself. If I had only told her one thing, she might have made it out alright, but I didn't so she wouldn't.

They wouldn't be back anytime soon, so the only thing I could do was wait. I had to see Beetee about the new trident he had made for me, but the all the time I was with him, I was thinking of her. Had they hurt her? Most likely. Had they beat her? It was possible. Abused her? In every form. Had they done nothing and only held her to torture me? Doubtful. Was she even still alive? "They'll bring her back Finnick. She will be alright." "She'll be alright? I wouldn't count on it!" I snapped "Beetee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you." "No worries. I understand you miss her." "I'm worried about her. What will they have done to her?" He shrugged his shoulders and continued working, he didn't particularly care. To him she was just another person, another face as part of the rebellion.

I spent as much time as I could with Beetee, but he was distant. He was more interested in electricity than personal relationships, so the time dragged even more than I thought it would. Our videos had been played across Panem over and over. This surely must have given them enough time to rescue the victors. They would hopefully be on their way back to Thirteen.

Katniss was my best and only company during this agonising wait, but we didn't speak. There were no words we could have used. We sat together, tying knots. My hands were raw, and the cracked skin was starting to bleed but I couldn't stop, I promised myself I wouldn't stop until I knew if she was alive. Hours came and went, 8pm nothing. An hour later, still nothing. At 10pm we started to worry that something had happened along the way, but we didn't vocalise our worry. It was obvious to the other that we were afraid by how we focused more and more on the piece of rope in our hands than the outside world. 11pm and I was starting to believe everyone was dead, that this pain would go on and that there would be no escape.

We were summoned to the hospital wing at what must have been after midnight, they were back. I couldn't move, like my body had given up on me out of fear of how she would appear to me when I saw her. Katniss took my hand, she wasn't all bad and these last few hours I had been very glad I had worked to save her. My legs just about carried me to the hospital. It was noisy, crowded and full of panic. The injured were being treated and those who were injured but it wasn't serious were sitting and waiting. I looked around; Johanna was in front of me, her head shaven, her body bruised and bloody. She knew the secrets, but by the looks of her she had not been willing to give them up. Katniss had seen Gale; she called to him but was ushered away from him as he was injured. That's when I saw her, sat all alone looking down at her feet. Even though it was clear they had tortured her too, she was still radiant, her presence made me feel better. I stood for a while, shocked at everything that was going on around me. She looked up, her eyes met mine. "Finnick!" she yelled as she ran towards me. I took her in my arms and I held her, her fragile form feeling even more delicate now. The room was gone; it was just me and her against everything. I had her now; I would not let her go again. "Annie, my darling Annie." I was crying and so was she, tears of joy mixed with sorrow. They had hurt her, and from what she was wearing it was the worst possible way they could have.

Her body was wrapped in a thin stained, white sheet, nothing more. "Oh Annie, what did they do to you?" I asked her, but I didn't let her answer. I wanted to make sure that the cuts and scrapes across her face and arms were treated and any other injuries that can't be seen. I fear though that her torture was more of a mental torture.

They wouldn't let me stay by her side while they treated her, there was far more damage done than meets the eye. I was made to sit outside, I could hear her screams but I was helpless to stop them. Whatever had been done was painful, both for her and for me.

They allowed me back to see her. Looking in less pain and cleaner but still wearing the same stained white sheet. There was no time to find her other clothes, real clothes. She was sat with her legs over the end of a hospital bed, tears fell from her eyes. I sat beside her and held her; I was here to pick up the pieces like I hadn't been before. "It's alright Annie, you're safe now." Her whole body was shaking; I wasn't sure if it was from fear and pain or if she was just cold. The hospital started to calm, I couldn't see Katniss, or Peeta. Did that mean he was dead? If he wasn't then why isn't he here? That didn't matter to me, all that mattered was her. She hadn't said anything since their return, but I didn't need her to. I didn't want to make her talk if she didn't want to. Gale walked over to us, looking a lot healthier now that they had bandaged him up. "Annie, how are you?" He had been on the journey back; he had seen her at her worst. Did he care, or was he mocking her? He appeared to care, but people can appear to be very different to who they actually are. She looked at him, her eyes wide. She didn't speak, but it was obvious that she wasn't alright. "Gale, do you know what happened to her?" He shook his head. "We only know where we found her, this is how she looked. The fact she was all alone in a large white room allows us to only guess." I appreciated what he said, but at the mention of a large white room, she started to slip. She placed her hands over her ears. "What is she doing?" Gale asked, I could sense that he found it funny. "Please, just go." I watched him walk away before turning my full attention to her. "It's alright Annie, its safe here. I'm here. I'll protect you Annie." She slowly rested her hands back on her lap.

She looked so small, so innocent. I had to find out exactly what had happened to her. She was shivering. "Annie, let's go find you some clothes." Her eyes met mine, "please don't." "Annie, I want to find you something to wear, you're shaking you're so cold." "Please don't. Don't hurt me." "I would never hurt you Annie, I'm here to protect you, not hurt you." I was so confused, why was she acting like this? What had they done to her? "That's what they said! And they lied!" Tears were streaming down her face, they had hurt her and they had lied to her to do so. "I promise you Annie, I'm not lying to you. I love you and I would never hurt you." "Don't! Stop saying that!" She was shouting now, and people were looking at her, laughing. They didn't understand her. I took her hand and led her away from the hospital wing, away from prying eyes. Nobody would judge her now, well at least not to her face.

I took her to my room, it was the only place I could be sure of a little privacy. I knew I would have to take her back to the hospital wing before too long, but I needed to talk to her alone where nobody could hear. She stood awkwardly in the corner of the room. "Annie, you can sit down." She nodded and shuffled towards the bed while I searched through the few belongings I had. There was no women's clothing, and even if there had been I doubted she would wear it, and even if she agreed to wear it I doubted she would fit it, she was scarily skinny. I made a note to ask Katniss if she had something for her, but until then I pulled out a shirt and handed it to her. She took it from me but it remained folded beside her. "Annie. Oh Annie what did they do to you?" I sat beside her and brushed my hand across her cheek. "They lied to me. They told me that they would hurt you, and they told me it was my fault. I don't even know what I've done!" "Nothing Annie, nothing. You aren't to blame for anything, it's all them. They have to take the blame for this." "I screamed for you. I hoped you would hear me. Every time I did, they hit me, telling me to be quiet, that if I made another noise that they'd make it worse for me. But I couldn't help it Finnick." I didn't want to say anything, she was telling me and I feared if I said anything so would retreat back into her shell. "I hated it. I couldn't see anyone else, but I could hear them. Johanna's screams, Peeta's screams." I could see that this was hurting her, only reliving it. She was fighting against her mind so hard, I could see. "When I didn't do as they told me, they took me. Two men. They took me from the room they held me in and they blindfolded me." I knew exactly where this was going, she was really struggling now. I knelt in front of her. "Annie, did they rape you?"

I knew by her silence that the answer was yes. How could they do that? "Annie I'm so sorry!" She squeezed my hand. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault." "It was though. I should have protected you; I should have made sure you were safe." "You couldn't do that though, so I don't blame you Finnick." I sighed, she was so strong, she appeared weak and unstable but she was probably the strongest of all of us. "It was horrible. They treated me like I didn't matter, I know I don't but I hated it. It hurt and if I screamed they just did it again." "Don't say more. You don't have to." They had raped her more than once; it was a miracle that I had any of my Annie left. She sat so still next to me, it was silent. "Are you mad?" "Not at you. I could never be mad at you. I'm mad at them; they had no right to hurt you!" I didn't shout because that always scared her. I didn't want to make her feel worse.

After a while I decided I should take her back to the hospital wing so they could do tests on her. I knew they would class her as unstable. She was still wrapped in the sheet, she wouldn't put my shirt on, and so while we walked to the hospital I removed my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She flinched a little, but she didn't remove it.

It was still hectic in the hospital wing, but not as bad. "Soldier Odair, where have you been with Miss Cresta?" "Sorry I had to talk to her." The nurses took her away, the again made me wait outside. There was no screaming this time, maybe she had screamed so much that she couldn't scream anymore. When I was allowed back in, she was sat in the middle of the furthest bed. The sheet had been taken from her and she was in some District Thirteen pyjamas.

"Hey you." She looked up, her eyes shining with tears. I went over to her and sat beside her. "You're safe now Annie, they can't hurt you anymore." What happened next shocked me and I didn't understand why it did. She wrapped her arms around me; she was shaking like a leaf. "I missed you! Finnick, I missed you so much and I love you, only you. Nobody else!" I pulled her onto my knee and cuddled her. "You have no idea how much I missed you. You have no idea." She was still for a moment before she kissed me.

The next words out of my mouth would be life changing. They just sort of slipped out, but I was glad they did. "Marry me Annie." "Huh?" "Marry me. I never want to lose you again, I want to love you I want you to be my wife. Marry me Annie." She slipped off my knee and sat beside me. "Yes, I would love that." She smiled the most genuine smile I had seen since I arrived here. It was late, and she was clearly exhausted. "Annie lay down." "What why? No." "I don't want to hurt you Annie, I promise."

It took a while to persuade her, but she eventually lay back. She was rigid, afraid. "I promise you're not in any danger here Annie. I'll stay with you as long as they let me." Her eyes fixed on mine. "Why do you have to leave me?" "I don't have to leave you… Not yet." "Why will you have to leave me?" "It complicated Annie. Sleep, we'll talk about it tomorrow." She curled up into a ball, clearly what she had done to be safer in the Capitol. I knew I wasn't supposed to, but I had to, I had to hold her until she fell asleep. "I've got you Annie. I'll protect you."

"Finnick…" Her voice was small, barely a whisper. "Yes Annie?" She didn't look back, she held herself firm. "Is this it, are we going to be safe soon? Will we get to go home to District Four? Just me and you…" How could I answer that? There wasn't a sure answer, anything could happen. Absolutely anything. "Hopefully." My arms wrapped tighter around her. "Whatever happens Annie, just remember how much you mean to me, you are my everything. You will always be my everything. Never forget that. I love you, my little Annie."


End file.
